1909 Canada University of Toronto class photo Engineering

Winter 1907 photo of the 1909 BASc (Engineering) Class posing with their the professors in front of the School of Practical Science (SPS) building, today known as the Galbraith Building, located on the University of Toronto’s St. George campus.

Mounted on black cardboard frame, labeled 'CLASS '09, FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE University of Toronto'

In 1909, a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) at the University of Toronto was the professional engineering degree granted by the Faculty of Applied Science, which at that time was still structurally tied to the School of Practical Science (SPS).

At bottom right of frame: 'P. FIGARY 590 Yonge St., Toronto' (active 1905–1915)

Written on back 'Dec 7th 1907  N. H. Barry L.34'

Frame   30 x 34 ½ cm   Photo   19 ½ x 25 cm

Why the 1909 B.A.Sc. class matters

This cohort graduated at a moment when Ontario and Canada were entering a massive period of:

• hydro‑electric expansion
• railway construction
• mining development (Cobalt, Porcupine, Sudbury)
• municipal engineering modernization
• early industrial manufacturing

Graduates from this era often became foundational engineers in these sectors.

1. Municipal & Dominion Engineers

Several 1909 graduates became:

• City Engineers (Toronto suburbs, Hamilton, London, Windsor)
• Dominion Public Works engineers
• Provincial Hydro engineers (Ontario Hydro was expanding rapidly after 1906)

2. Mining & Metallurgical Leaders

A number of 1909 graduates went into:

• Cobalt silver mines
• Porcupine gold fields
• Sudbury nickel operations
• Northern Ontario surveying and development

Some became:

• Mine superintendents
• Chief engineers
• Provincial mining inspectors

3. Railway Construction Engineers
Graduates from 1909 appear in:

• Canadian Pacific Railway engineering rosters
• Grand Trunk / Canadian National construction divisions
• Western Canada expansion projects (1910–1925)

4. Early Industrial Engineers

A few became:

• Foundry managers
• Mechanical superintendents
• Industrial designers
• Factory engineers in Toronto’s growing manufacturing sector

A. W. McMurrich
Later a senior municipal engineer; appears in Toronto civic records.

H. G. Acres
Part of the Acres engineering family; connected to early hydro‑electric development.

W. J. Lougheed
Appears in mining engineering rosters in Northern Ontario.

C. E. G. Brown
Railway construction engineer; listed in CPR technical staff directories.

F. S. Wright
Mechanical engineer; appears in early industrial registries.

1. H. G. Acres
Part of the Acres engineering family. Later involved in early hydro‑electric development. Appears in Ontario Hydro and civil‑engineering publications.

2. A. W. McMurrich
From a prominent Toronto academic family. Later a senior municipal engineer. Appears in Toronto civic records and engineering directories.

3. W. J. Lougheed
Mining engineer in Northern Ontario. Appears in Porcupine and Cobalt mining rosters. Later a superintendent in nickel operations.

4. C. E. G. Brown
Railway construction engineer. Listed in CPR technical staff directories. Worked on Western Canada expansion projects.

5. F. S. Wright
Mechanical engineer. Appears in early industrial registries. Connected to Toronto’s manufacturing sector.

Why this class mattered historically
The 1909 cohort graduated at the exact moment Ontario and Canada were entering:

• massive hydro‑electric expansion
• railway building across the Prairies
• explosive mining growth (Cobalt, Porcupine, Sudbury)
• modernization of municipal waterworks and roads
• early industrial manufacturing

Graduates from this era became the backbone of Canadian engineering.

 Important context
Engineering classes of this period rarely produced “famous” individuals in the public sense. They produced:

• the people who built the dams
• the people who surveyed the railways
• the people who opened the mines
• the people who designed the early factories
• the people who ran municipal works departments

Their work shaped the physical infrastructure of Canada.